April 26 Events

Confederate Memorial Day in Florida (Local observance)

Confederate Memorial Day in Florida - Local observance: When April 26 is a Sunday, it is recognized the following Monday.

History: White settlers began to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers, which they supplied by buying slaves in the domestic market. By 1860 Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1,000 free African Americans before the Civil War.

In January 1861, Florida declared its secession from the Union and became a founding member of the Confederate States. The Confederates received little help from Florida; the 15,000 men it offered were generally sent elsewhere. The largest engagements in the state were the Battle of Olustee, on February 20, 1864, and the Battle of Natural Bridge, on March 6, 1865. Both were Confederate victories. The war ended in 1865.

Following the Civil War, Florida’s congressional representation was restored on June 25, 1868. After the Reconstruction period ended in 1876, white Democrats regained power in the state legislature. In 1885 they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites.

Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. In 1900 its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American, the same proportion as before the Civil War.

Source: leg.state.fl.us | wikipedia.org

In 2019 Confederate Memorial Day in Florida (Local observance) in USA falls on April 26.